The French legend announced last week he would be taking the sports director's post at Real.

And in the first days of their tour of the USA, the travelling media have seen Zidane step out from the shadows to be heavily involved in training and meetings with president Florentino Perez and coach Jose Mourinho.

It was significant yesterday for the players' medicals in LA that the three men present were Mourinho, Florentino - and Zidane.